By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Ketchikan High Kings had a chance to see the court that will host the Southeast Region V championships, and evidently they like it, sweeping the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves 67-52 on Friday and 72-56 Saturday.
“We played hard all weekend,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Archie Young said. “We didn’t always play smart or make the best decisions, but we played very hard.”
The Braves were tested early on Friday as Ketchikan opened with a full court press.
After Mt. Edgecumbe senior Bear Brown (Anchorage) matched a deep three by Ketchikan junior Kristian Pihl, the Kings added a series of shots in a minute of action that put the Braves down 11-3 and forced Young to call a timeout.
The Braves regrouped and Brown hit back-to-back shots, senior Emmett Dunaway (Dillingham) added another and sophomore Jeff Adams (Mentasta) gave the home team its first lead at 13-11 and they battled that into the end of the stanza for an 18-16 advantage.
Mt. Edgecumbe sophomore’s RJ Alstrom-Beans (21) and Jeff Adams (42) rebound against Ketchikan during the Braves 67-52 loss to the Kings Friday in the B.J. McGillis Gym. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Ketchikan opened the second quarter with senior Marcus Lee going to the free-throw line to tie the score, junior Chris Lee going out beyond the arch, and the Braves’ Brown heading to the bench with a bad ankle sprain that kept him out of the remainder of the game.
Mt. Edgecumbe would hit just one basket in the stanza, a deep jumper by junior David Dock (Togiak) at the 6:10 mark, and Dunaway would have to rest with three fouls. The Kings went on an 18-0 run for a 39-23 half time advantage that could not be reined in.
“Having Bear out and then Emmett get in foul trouble really hurt us in that second quarter,” Young said. “They are two pretty important players. A lot of what we have talked about for preparing for Ketchikan involved them, so that was a moment, again, when some people got thrown into unfamiliar roles and positions.”
Ketchikan pushed the lead out to 50-26 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter despite the defensive pressure by Dock, who took multiple charging foul attempts in the game, and sophomores RJ Alstrom-Beans (St. Mary’s) and Frederick Meyers (Pilot Station), and Adams out of the press. The Kings pulled several of their starters, finishing the quarter up 56-32. The Braves outscored the Kings 20-11 in the fourth quarter behind 12 points from Dunaway, but Ketchikan got the win 67-52.
“What I really liked was that we got a lot of our seniors extended minutes, especially in the second half, and I thought that they made a lot of great plays,” Ketchikan coach Eric Stockhausen said. “And that is what we always talk about. Kids worry about the result of it, did it go in or not; what I liked is that we were cutting and passing and we were finding the open man. Now the ball didn’t fall but that’s part of the game.. maybe tomorrow we do the same thing and the ball is going to fall. We’re not playing for today we’re playing for the tournament in March and I need every guy I had on the floor ready to play for us.”
Mt. Edgecumbe senior Cyprian Johnson-Edwards (23) shoots over Ketchikan senior Cody Kemble (13). (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Dunaway led the Braves with a game high 22 points, Brown added 8, Adams 7, senior Cyprian Johnson-Edwards (Emmonak) 6, Dock 5, Alstrom-Beans (St. Mary’s) 4.
The Braves hit 8-12 at the line, the Kings went 13-19.
Ketchikan was led by 20 points from C. Lee, sr. Jake Taylor and sr. ER Caparas 7 apiece, sr. Kyle Smith and Pihl 6 each, sr. Cody Kemble 5, sr. Wyatt Barajas and jr. James Nordlund 4 apiece, sr. M. Lee and sr. Robert Hilton-Seludo 2 each.
On Saturday the Kings got behind deep shots from the Lee brothers and Pihl including 11 points from C. Lee to take a 24-11 first quarter lead.
“We started the game on the wrong end of a 12-0 run and then played Ketchikan tough the rest of the way,” Young said.
Mt. Edgecumbe turned the tide in the second quarter as Johnson-Edwards found his range and Dunaway continued his athleticism inside to outscore Ketchikan 14-9 in the stanza and trail 33-25 at the half.
Mt. Edgecumbe’s Johnson-Edwards hit his second deep shot of the night and Dunaway, Brown and Adams battled inside to match Ketchikan’s Lee brothers, who accounted for 14 of the Kings’ 25 third-quarter points and a 58-40 advantage with eight minutes remaining.
The teams continued to trade baskets in the fourth, with Ketchikan coming away on top 72-56.
“I was pleased with how hard we played,” Young said. “Emmett has really been getting better and better these last couple weeks and Cyprian has his best game of the season by far Saturday night. And David Dock, how about that long man? He takes five charges and had four blocks called on him. That is a very unselfish young man. Ketchikan is very fast and athletic. I was actually pleased with how we handled their pressure the second night minus those first few minutes.”
Johnson-Edwards led Mt. Edgecumbe with 16 points, Brown added 14, Dunaway 13, Adams 12, and Alstrom-Beans 1.
The Braves were 10-22 at the line, the Kings went 3-6.
Ketchikan’s C. Lee had a game high 30 points, M. Lee 12, Taylor 11, Pihl 9, Barajas 5, Smith 3, and Hilton-Seludo 2.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Ketchikan’s Stockhausen said. “And Archie should definitely be proud of his guys, they played extremely hard and they always do. They’re always well coached.”
Mt. Edgecumbe (5-13) will host the 4A Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears on Friday and Saturday at the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium.
“It will be interesting to see how this carries over to our games against Juneau this weekend,” Young said. “As long as we keep moving forward I will be very happy.”
